Seasalt and Sand
by Shinobi of the Onyx Sands
Summary: After the fall of the Archadian Empire, Ashe sends a letter telling Penelo she wants to take a trip. Is there more to her motive than just wanting a break?
1. Chapter 1: Estersands

Penelo stared at the busy streets of Rabanastre from the wall she was sitting on. Boredom like this hadn't hit her in a long time. With everything peaceful now after the fall of the Archadian Empire there wasn't much to do anymore. Vaan was off on a job for Migelo and had left her behind. Boredom had set in only hours after she had watched Vaan leaving for Balfonheim.

The streets were busy as always but there wasn't any talk of war, just discussions of trade. Penelo sighed as she wondered what to do for fun. She had thought about going down into the Garamsythe waterway and training herself a bit more but there were only so many monsters down there. She had her katana on hand but it felt like it was more for decoration than anything now. She wanted to go fight something but there was a reason she was sitting here on the wall being bored.

Migelo had handed her a letter that morning. It had told her to sit on the wall outside the Sandsea bar. The letter had come from Ashe, someone everyone had lost touch with a little in the months that had passed. Ashe wanted Penelo to accompany her on a journey to the Phon Coast. According to the letter, Ashe just wanted to get away from things for a while.

Penelo thought the note sounded a little odd but it had been a request and not an order. The other part of why she was here was she had chosen to accept Ashe's request. The only problem was that Ashe was a little late and Penelo knew the trip would take days on foot. Maybe that was what Ashe really wanted, just to get away from everything for a week or two.

A flash of white moving through the crowd toward her told Penelo of Ashe's coming arrival. She jumped down from the wall to greet Ashe.

"Morning Ashe. It's been a while." Penelo said with a smile as Ashe walked up to her.

Ashe returned the smile and said, "It really has been too long. I see you got my letter. I wasn't sure if that Bangaa would deliver it."

"He probably wouldn't have if he hadn't been an old friend of Migelo's. He says they make good couriers if they know the person they're delivering to." Penelo said. "It's a good thing you marked that the letter be sent to Migelo."

"Actually it was supposed to be sent directly to you. I'm glad Migelo got his hands on it though. At least I can trust him." Ashe said as she looked around.

Penelo tried to catch Ashe's gaze as she said, "Well are going to stand here talking all day or are we going to get going?"

Ashe laughed lightly at this. She had forgotten how impatient Penelo was about some things. "Yes of course we're going to get going. You have what you need for the trip?"

Penelo nodded and said, "I should have everything I need for a trip from here to Balfonheim on foot. Migelo made sure I did before I left his shop."

"That's good. Then we can get going." Ashe said as she turned around.

Penelo followed her down the street and out into the courtyard that lead to the large doors that lead out into the Westersands. Penelo thought it was odd to go this way but it did give them a way around the Nebra. The heat of the sands was barely tolerable to people who didn't live in the area but to Penelo the wind and sun felt good.

As they walked simple magic was all either of them felt the need to cast at the various monsters that attacked on occasion. Penelo sighed as it was simply just minor annoyances and nothing that the two of them couldn't handle. It wasn't like it had been when they had gone into places like Giruvegan or the Necrohol of Nabudis. Penelo had liked the sense of adventure that those places provided. Her thoughts wandered back to the present as she took out one more enemy with a carefully aimed Fire spell. Her thoughts wandered over the possible reasons Ashe had asked her to accompany her. Surely she had her own personal guard now and she was more than capable of defending herself from monsters, but her letter had said that she had wanted to get away from everything for a while. Penelo was silently frustrated by her own thoughts. She decided to just focus on the scenery in front of her.

Ashe looked over at Penelo as they walked. Her mind fought with figuring out how to tell Penelo what her reasons were. She felt that being blunt and telling her up front would backfire but not telling her would have the same the effect. Still, only telling her part of the reason might lead her to be distrustful later. The silence was what was driving her stir crazy with thoughts. She wished there was something Penelo would talk about to her mind off of her own thoughts.

Penelo sighed a wiped a bit of sweat from her forehead. It had gotten hotter as the day wore on. It was nearly midday by the time they had reached the northern side of the Estersand. Penelo was still familiar with the area and knew that the route up and into the Mosphoran Highwaste was slowly getting closer.

"All this fighting is a nice break from all the boring stuff Migelo has me do in the town. I like it there and Rabanastre is always going to be my home but I liked what I saw when we traveled around together during the war." Penelo said, breaking the silence that had been between them for hours.

Ashe felt relieved to hear Penelo speak. "It was weird. That journey, the entire time we were all together, all I could think about was bringing back my kingdom and returning Dalmasca to what it once was but I keep feeling like I've been failing ever since we won."

Penelo was surprised to hear this. She kept her tone playful as she said, "I'm sure you're doing a good job with things. Would you rather leave it to Vaan or Balthier?"

Ashe giggled at this and said, "We'd all be sky-pirates if I did. But you really think I'm doing a good job?"

Penelo nodded and said, "Of course. Migelo wouldn't have nearly as much work for me as he does if you weren't doing your job well. You may not always see it but everything you've done has made the whole kingdom far more prosperous."

Ashe smiled. She enjoyed hearing compliments like this. "Still I'm worried about things. I feel trapped in my own name. You're the first person to simply call me Ashe in a long time. It's always 'Queen' or 'Ashelia' or 'My Lady'. I don't like titles at all but I can't simply order nobles to no longer call me by my proper title or name."

Penelo stretched her arms slightly. "Is that why you wanted to get away from everything?"

Ashe's mind raced as she tried to think of what to say. This had been what she had been trying to avoid explaining. Sure Penelo's wording gave her some room to no tell her everything but a half answer would be followed by another question and then another until Penelo had been told every last little detail in Ashe's reasoning.

Ashe nodded and said, "It was part of my reason. I also just wanted to get out of the city for a while. I figure my advisors can function without me for a month or two."

Penelo shot Ashe a look and said, "A month or two? I thought we were only going to be out on the Phon Coast for a week or two at the most."

Ashe was glad the heat of the day had already flushed her face bright red. She could feel herself blushing as she replied, "I guess I should have told you that in the letter. Are you fine with the change in plans?"

Penelo sighed slightly and said, "Of course I'm fine with it. We'll just need to stop at a shop on the way. The caravans still run through Mosphoran coming out of Nalbina. We should be able to catch one and purchase the extra supplies we'll need. That or we backtrack through Mosphoran to Nalbina."

Ashe thought about it for a moment. "I thought you had enough to get you to Balfonheim. That's at least a month's journey. If we need anything we can always get it at the Hunter's Camp. We'll be in the area and it would be far easier than getting it at Nalbina."

Penelo had forgotten about the Hunter's Camp. It really had been a long time since she had been outside of the area that encompassed Rabnastre and Nalbina Fortress. The last time she had left the area was a trip out to Bhujerba with Vaan to pick up something for the shop. "Sounds like you've had this planned out for a while Ashe." Penelo said after a moment.

Ashe smiled. She had wanted to do something like this for a lot longer than just a few days ago. "I've had this planned for some time now. It's just that this is the first chance I have had to actually be able to get away from things long enough."

Penelo stopped walking and said, "It wasn't just on a whim that you asked me to come along was it?"

Ashe turned to face Penelo and tried to think of an answer. "No. It wasn't just on a whim that I had you come along."

"Then what was it Ashe? What was your reason for having me come along?" Penelo asked

Ashe looked right into Penelo's eyes and said, "Would you believe me if I told you I'm not quite ready to tell you?"

Penelo was puzzled by Ashe's words. Her mind began thinking through any reasonable reason Ashe would have as she replied, "I can understand that but I want a decent answer from you when we reach the Phon Coast."

Ashe breathed a sigh of relief at this. At least she had some time to think everything over once more. It was something she had been thinking through for weeks already and it annoyed her that she couldn't bring herself to tell Penelo what she wanted to. It had been hard enough realizing her exact feelings for Penelo. If there had been less things to worry about during the war Ashe knew she would have told Penelo back then instead of waiting until now. Now with all the time in the world available to her on this trip and nothing serious to worry about she just couldn't up and tell her.

As the day wore on closer to night the two of them entered the Mosphoran Highwaste. Being in this area at night was dangerous as several of the paths passed by some very tall cliffs and stepping off of them would be a certain death sentence. The silence that had been between them at the beginning had returned. The only thing that had been said was a mention of setting up camp for the night. The only other thing that was a constant besides the silence were the monsters that roamed the area.

They found an area to set up camp for the night and as they finished Ashe broke the silence between them.

"I want to tell you my reasons for asking you to come along. The only thing that's been preventing me from doing so is how you will react to them." Ashe said as she stared into the small fire they had going.

Penelo sat down next to the fire and said, "Ashe you should know that you can tell me anything. We are friends after all."

"I know. It's just...this is different." Ashe said as she sat near Penelo.

Penelo smiled and said, "Just say what's on your heart. That always works for me when I can't think of a way to say something."

Ashe took a deep breath and looked at Penelo. She decided that she wasn't going to hide how she felt any longer. "The reason I asked you along is that I..." Ashe paused, trying to find the courage to say what she wanted to as her heart raced. "I love you Penelo. That's why."

Penelo stared at Ashe in disbelief. Ashe had turned a bright red from embarrassment as Penelo took a minute to process what she had just heard. "You...love me?" she asked quietly.

Ashe nodded and said, "I do and I've felt this way for some time. I started realizing my feelings around the time when we went to Mt. Buromisace."

Penelo was stunned by this. The realization that Ashe had felt like this for well over a couple of years was astonishing. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Because of the war and how unsure I was of everything at the time. Now that I've had time to think through my thoughts I realized I should have told you then rather than waiting until now."

Penelo realized she was still staring at Ashe. "I can understand why you had wanted to wait. This isn't something you can just casually throw out there."

Penelo tried to figure out just how to tell Ashe how she felt about the whole thing. "You'd think I'd be able to say something back to you fairly quickly about how I feel but I can't."

Ashe smiled and said, "Well like you said, just say what's on your heart."

Penelo let herself say the first thing that came to mind. "I love you too Ashe but I know it hasn't been for as long. For me I think it started a week or two ago. Ever since the end of the war you're the only person I keep constantly thinking about. Romantically anyway, with Vaan it's more of a brother-sister kind of thing."

Ashe smiled and inwardly sighed. At least her feelings hadn't been toward someone who hadn't loved her. "I'm glad to hear you feel the same. Maybe we have a reason now to talk a little more often on our trip."

Penelo laughed slightly at the mention of the lack of talking. "To be honest it makes me a bit nervous to talk to you. It always has. You're pretty and smart and the fact that your royalty doesn't escape me."

Ashe stared at Penelo and said, "You don't treat me like I'm a queen though. Whenever you talk to me it is like you are simply speaking to an old friend. You're beautiful in your own right and I'm jealous of the fact that you can walk through a crowd without attracting attention unless you want to."

Penelo blushed brightly. She hadn't been complimented like this in a long time. She stared at Ashe and then at the fire, trying to figure out exactly what to say next.

Ashe looked at Penelo and moved closer to her. She moved in a little closer and gave Penelo a light, gentle kiss. She was a bit surprised when Penelo returned the kiss. Ashe slowly broke the short kiss and smiled at Penelo.

Penelo was completely surprised by the kiss and was even more surprised at how much she had enjoyed it. It was kind of embarrassing to her that Ashe had kissed her first. Embarrassing that she had wanted to do the same thing. As their first kiss broke Penelo renewed it, this time with a bit more passion. The impulse to just want Ashe like this was all she could think of.

Ashe gently broke the kiss and pushed Penelo away slightly, "I'm sorry. This...is just a little sudden for me."

Penelo was surprised by this and asked, "Then why did you kiss me first?"

Ashe blushed and stared into the fire. "I don't know. I'm just now able to really let my feelings be real to me and I've fallen in love with you all over again but this just feels like it is going too fast. It feels like, if we kept it going at this pace we would never be able to be a couple for very long. It would just burn out and crumble beneath us."

Penelo gently put a hand on Ashe's shoulder and quietly said, "You want me to be something more than just your friend now. You want me to be your lover. That's something that is going to take time for the both of us to get used to. I kissed you back because I was so surprised by the first one I wanted to make sure it was real. I'm not as impatient as you think. At least I won't be with this. We're going to need some time to think everything through now and make sure that this is what we both really want."

Ashe felt a tear run down her cheek as she said, "When did you become the one who always knows just what to say? When did you become so caring and loving?"

Penelo gave Ashe a hug and wiped the tear away. "When we saved Dalmasca from the Empire I learned a lot of things. One of the things I learned was something Fran once told me one evening. She said, 'To be with the one you really love you must always put their needs above your own but at the same time you must not forget your own. You have to balance it perfectly or it will never work the way you want it to.' I have a feeling she was talking about what was between her and Balthier but it made sense. Now that I have someone who I really love and care for I have to be able to put them above myself sometimes."

Ashe felt safe for some reason as Penelo hugged her. She slowly put her arms around her and pulled her in tighter. She felt relieved to have told Penelo that she loved her and to hear it back but the kiss had simply been an impulse and made her feel like everything was being rushed along too fast. She had seen relationships like that in her own court and even in her own life. She still cared for Rasler of course but he was long gone and the Occuria had forever stained her memory of him.

Maybe that was part of why she had really begun to fall in love with Penelo. Because Rasler had become someone she no longer loved she had sought out a place to put her love and Penelo had just happened to be the right person in the right place. She had tossed the idea around of trying to like Balthier or Vaan but neither of them were really interested, they were too obsessed with piracy and Balthier seemed to be just happy with Fran. Basch was of course the first person taken off her list by a matter of him simply being too much older. That had left her with Penelo and at first she had really felt that that was all it was. That she had fallen in love with Penelo simply because she was the only one available to love without feeling like she was going to have her heart torn out again.

The hug made the awkward silence tolerable for Penelo. She really didn't know what else to say. She wasn't sure if Ashe had really gotten over everything from the past. It had just been a moment of remembering everything from what had happened during the war and all the time spent travelling. Penelo still felt so unsure of her own feelings. How long had it really been for her since she had started feeling this way? Had it really been for as long as she had said or was that just something she had said to lower the level of awkwardness that had arisen between her and Ashe?

The warmth was slowly going out of the hug as the two of them tried to make sense of it all. Penelo quietly let go of Ashe without saying a word and set her bed up and tried to get some sleep. Ashe merely watched as Penelo curled up and went to sleep. Ashe caught herself watching Penelo and think about how cute and beautiful the girl looked as she slept. It was maddening to her that she couldn't get her thoughts straight. She knew that this was going to take a lot longer than she had hoped.

Ashe curled up next to Penelo and gently put an arm around her. It had been an unthinking gesture but for some reason it just made her feel safer. Ashe quietly fell asleep as the crackle of the dying fire and the smell of smoke drifted across her senses and lulled her into a deeper sleep.

(Author's note: This is going to be a long haul. I'm coming into this purposefully trying to rival Another Side, Another Story and maybe even pass it in length. Final Fantasy isn't unfamiliar territory for me and this is a pairing I've been wanting to do for the longest time. I hope you all enjoy it. Next Chapter t come soon. Read and enjoy.)

**Shinobi of the Onyx Sands**


	2. Chapter 2: Mosphoran Highwaste

Sleeping out in the Mosphoran Highwaste was something that only someone who had been through the area would ever attempt. Elementals were notorious for wandering through the area. While they wouldn't attack unprovoked, a carelessly cast magic spell drew them in faster than anything in Ivalice. Most of the elementals here were fire types and just about every traveler that went through here saw one at least once and often said that the experience was an odd one at best.

It was an Elemental that woke up Penelo early the next morning. She had gotten up before Ashe and was watching her sleep as she started a fire to keep herself warm. She hadn't noticed the Elemental in the area and had lit the fire with the spell that bore the same name. The next thing she saw was a moving ball of pure elemental fire and she picked her Katana up off the ground. She knew fighting this thing alone was going to be draining but she had learned how years ago.

She swiped her sword at it and connected with a solid core that the Elemental was based around. She didn't stop there, knowing that waiting to see what the Elemental would do could get her and Ashe hurt. She blocked a Fira spell the Elemental cast and cast her own spell. She hated how long it took to cast it every time she used it but it was one of the most unparalleled spells she had ever learned. She felt the exhaustion of magical energy leave her as the glyphs for the spell called Scathe formed in front of her launching pure energy at the Elemental who vanished on impact.

Penelo breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the Elemental was gone. While they were now quite a bit easier to deal with, she still remembered how hard it had been to fight one the first time she had ever seen one. She looked over to where Ashe had been sleeping and noticed she was gone. Puzzled she turned back around and saw the young woman standing in front of her. It was odd how quietly she had done that.

Ashe blushed and said, "I watched you fight that Elemental. You protected me even though I wasn't awake. You didn't do it because you felt like you had to, you wanted to. Well that and to defend yourself."

Ashe walked up to Penelo and gave her a soft kiss. It was similar to the one they had shared last night but this time there was a lot more sureness in Ashe's kiss. She knew that she loved Penelo and that this trip was her only real chance to give this relationship a try.

Penelo blushed at the compliment more than the kiss. The way Ashe was toward her was so different from the way Vann treated her. Here there was something more than just friendship. There was a real desire to be closer that the two of them shared.

AS they walked a storm came up and it began to rain. Not hard but a rather soft rain that was almost unusual for Mosphoran Highwaste. Penelo looked up at the sky for a moment as they walked. Ashe wondered what she was doing and softly asked, "What is it Penelo?"

"Oh it's nothing. I just miss the rain that's all. It hardly ever rains in Rabanastre. I just like the way it feels." Penelo said as she closed her eyes and just enjoyed the feeling of the rain.

Ashe smiled and watched quietly as they walked. Since that morning they hadn't seen any monsters, which was nice so this moment was just quiet and oddly calm. Was this what she had been looking for? Just these quiet moments away from everything with no one else there but Penelo or was there something more she still wanted?

The rain still fell as they reached the area where all the caravans usually spent the night. It was odd to see the place so empty, even the sightseers that would wander up into the area seemed to be gone. Maybe it was the weather that was doing it or maybe there was something going on in Nalbina that day that had attracted everyone's attention and had emptied the roads of any travelers. Either way it seemed odd to both Penelo and Ashe that there would be no one here. They looked at each other, silently asking the unspoken question hanging in the air between them. Penelo shrugged and kept walking. Better to not think about it too much and just keep on moving.

The rain didn't lighten up or get any harder as the day went on. Penelo's smile from having enjoyed the rain was now gone and replaced by a look that simply said all she wanted to be was dry. Ashe felt the same way and knew that it was going to be a good long while before all of her gear dried out.

The rain here had a habit of not stopping once it got gong. Even as light as it was it always kept up and soaked anything that had the misfortune of walking through the Highwaste when it rained. This particular storm was one that was going to last for days and Ashe figured they would be in the Salikawood by that evening or early the next morning. It just meant that they would have to suffer being wet for a while.

Penelo looked over at Ashe as they walked and quietly said, "Ashe, about us. I...this is kind of awkward to get my head around to say the right words. Why is this so hard to say? All I want to say is that I love you but when I try to make it heartfelt and all that I just can't bring myself to say it. It's like the words just stick in my mouth you know?"

Ashe smiled and said, "I know that feeling all too well. If it I helps you any I could always say it first. I love you Penelo."

Penelo blushed at this and whispered, "I love you too Ashe. I just wish I could..."

"You just wish you could say it with confidence. It will take time Penelo. Even I'm scared to say it out loud." Ashe said as she gave Penelo a gentle hug.

Penelo returned the hug with a gentle kiss. She let it linger for just long enough for the two of them to let it grow a bit more passionate before letting it go. She couldn't help but wonder what more Ashe was going to want from her in the future but Penelo knew that she was really willing to do anything for the woman standing in front of her smiling and looking lovingly at her.

It was these moments that made Ashe realize just how loving Penelo could be, but when she saw the young woman tearing through enemies that years ago had given her so much trouble she could clearly see just how much they both had changed. Neither one of them needed each other for protection yet they still enjoyed each other's company. No, it was more than that. Ashe knew the reason Penelo was still travelling with her after the first day and all of her talking about wanting to be with her was that Penelo shared her feelings and thought about her in the same way. It was so odd though to think about what would have been different had she said something about this when they had been together earlier.

She wondered if she had confessed back then if Penelo would have accepted her love for her. She had a feeling that it would have entirely depended on when she had suggested the idea. Any earlier than the incidents that had happened around Mt. Buromisace and Ashe knew she would have been taking a shot in the dark unlike now when Penelo had had time to think over her feelings for her.

The Salikawood loomed large in front of them as they reached the only way into the mystical forest. A wooden walkway stretched over a vast gorge into the woods, a sight that still scared Ashe. She had always been scared by some of the places they had been to in Ivalice but this one particular walkway scared her even more than walking the halls of the Necrohol of Nabudis had.

Penelo gently took a hold of Ashe's hand and said, "Come on Ashe. After this forest we'll be where we want to be and without any worries or cares. Just a couple of days here in the Salikawood and then we'll be out on the Phon Coast and enjoying the sunshine."

Ashe smiled and nodded as she laced her fingers through Penelo's and walked across the bridge into the Salikawood. She had a feeling that their adventure was going to get a lot more interesting and serious as time went on. There was just this nagging feeling in the back of her mind though that put her a little on edge. She tried to shake it off as just pointless worrying but she couldn't help it.

Deep in Archades a lone soldier dressed in armor walked into a dark room and quietly said, "You called for me my Lord?"

From in the depths of the dark room a voice came back, deep and full of power. "I did. You are my loyal knight and you have never failed me. I want you to do one thing for me."

"Yes my Lord?"

The sound of footsteps echoed throughout the hall as the lord walked toward his knight. His face was still hidden by the shadow of his hood as he smiled down at his knight who was looking up at him. "Capture and bring me Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca."

"It shall be done my Lord." The knight said as he got up and left the hall. He knew what needed to be done and set out to do it without question. After all, he had never failed his Lord.

At the very beginning of the forest Penelo felt a chill run down her spine. She shrugged it off, think it was only caused by how wet she was from the rain. She smiled at Ashe and quietly said, "A good fire will dry us out and make sleeping actually comfortable tonight. I'd rather get one going here on the edge of the wood rather than inside it."

Ashe nodded in agreement and the two of them collected some fire wood and got a fire going. Ashe enjoyed the warmth it gave as she felt it drying her clothing. She leaned against Penelo and let out a contented sigh.

"Feels god to be away from all the worries of the city isn't it?" Penelo asked as she held Ashe close to her.

Ashe nodded and said, "I had forgotten how simple and carefree adventuring was. I do miss the company of Balthier, Fran, Basch and Vaan though. But having you is more than enough. Besides, you were the only one of the group I really liked."

Penelo giggled and said, "Vaan's going to go nuts when I tell him about this."

Ashe smiled and said, "I was actually surprised that the two of you never got together."

"He's always been an older brother to me. It never really occurred to me to think of him in any way but that. Esides, once I figured out that I liked girls, and one very pretty one in particular, I up and told Vaan that there could never be anything between him and I. He took it with a smile saying he knew that and knew I'd be better off going after someone I could genuinely love." Penelo paused and smiled as she spoke. "He did say to bring home someone respectable. I think you fit that description quite nicely."

Ashe smiled and gave Penelo a hug. "I would hope that I would." She paused to give Penelo a quick kiss before saying, "Well I've dried out. We should get going a bit further before nightfall. The Salikawood is not kind to it's guests and the less time we spend here the better."

Penelo nodded and got up. She helped Ashe to her feet and the two of them pushed a bit deeper into the Salikawood as the sun set. Penelo hoped that this time through here would be a bit more forgiving than it had been the first time.

(Author's note: Well this one is quite a bit longer in the making than I had planned for. Writer's block multiple times, vacations, losing track of time, lack of sleep, the usual suspects, all of them are to blame but I hope that you don't give up on this story. I do intend to finish it even if it is taking longer than I had hoped. Read and enjoy [and maybe drop me a review so I know how I'm doing] It's all about the reader's enjoyment and I hope I meet that goal.)

**Shinobi of the Onyx Sands**


	3. Chapter 3: The Halls of Mist

The Salikawood was not an area that was very forgiving. Even though it wasn't quite nightfall yet, the monsters here were already over excited and anxious in their search for something delicious to eat. Both of them knew that there were many things in this forest that wouldn't give eating them a second thought. For the first time in their entire trip did they have their weapons drawn constantly and at the ready.

"Hey, remember that time we had to come through here at night once?" Penelo asked as they wound their way through the forest path.

"Yeah, I seem to remember Vaan freaking out about a Mandragora type monster that happened to drop from a tree in front of him." Ashe said with a slight giggle in her voice as she recalled the moment.

"Yeah but that was only because Basch had seen it up in the tree and had knocked it down without him noticing. I still can't believe he freaked out that bad. It was funny when he just up and killed it before realizing what it was." Penelo said laughing as she looked for a place for them to spend the night.

While the Salikawood was one of the worst possible places to spend the night, Penelo and Ashe had had to spend nights in places like Giruvegan and the Nabreus Deadlands. A night here wasn't going to be bad compared to nights there. At least the Mist wouldn't mess with their dreams as it had in the other places. The only thing that might even remotely interrupt their sleep would be one of the myriad monsters that roamed the trees. Penelo knew they would just have to set up barriers to stop anything unwanted before it got too close.

They set up camp without saying much and quickly drifted off. The day had been longer than either of them had expected it to be. Morning came none too quickly though. The light took forever to filter in through the trees. Penelo yawned and stretched as she felt the first rays of light hit her skin. She gently prodded Ashe and said, "Come on Ashe, we need to get going. We'll be at the Phon Coast by this evening if we really push it."

Ashe groaned and said, "As much incentive as that is I still don't like waking up for it. At least I get to wake up next to someone that's really pretty."

Penelo blushed at the comment as she gathered her weapon and pack up from where she had set them aside last night. It felt like today was going to be something neither of them really expected. Or at least that's what Penelo thought anyway.

Ashe stretched as she tried to keep herself awake. Mornings were not her favorite thing but somehow it was better with Penelo being there. She wondered for a second about something but then quickly suppressed the idea. It just seemed too silly. She smiled at Penelo as she finished gathering her stuff.

The Salikawood was still an odd place to Ashe even after having been through it before. The Mist still swirled around in the air here, not as thick as it did in the Feywood but still enough to be seen in places. The light of day filtered through the trees slowly as they walked and the day went on and gave the Salikawood a rather calming light.

It was only calming for a little while though. A wrong turn on the path through the trees had sent Penelo and Ashe on a course for the Necrohol of Nabudis and its neighbor, the Nabreous Deadlands. Penelo started feeling worried as the monsters they walked by attacked without any real provocation, something uncommon in all but the least travelled of routes. When Rakeclaws and Baknamy started showing up though, Penelo knew they were going the wrong way.

"Ashe, I think we should turn around and go back. I think we're headed…"

"Straight for the Necrohol of Nabudis." Ashe said after interrupting Penelo. "Something seems to be drawing us there. I can't say what it is exactly but something is there and it wants us to find it."

A shiver ran up Penelo's spine. The last time they had been inside the Necrohol she had gotten quite hurt and the party had gotten rather lost. A month later they had emerged out in the Nabreous Deadlands where they luckily found a way out and back where they needed to be. It had not been a fun experience to say the least. She wasn't exactly looking forward to going back into the labyrinth that the Necrohol was.

"You sure we really need to go in there? I'm still spooked by it from the last time we went in there. I'd like to avoid it as much as possible but, if you feel that something in this Mist is calling you there then I will follow you. After all, someone has to protect the queen." Penelo said as they got closer to the path that would lead them into the Necrohol.

Ashe looked at Penelo and could tell that she was scared of the place. The Necrohol was never fair to travellers as thing hid in the Mist and would often come out of nowhere. Ashe knew that she had decided to send a group of fighters made up of guards and mercenaries to try and see if they could take this place back. A month had passed and only one person returned saying nothing more than the fact that something was in the Necrohol. Something big. No one in the royal court had asked any more questions and the region had been declared forbidden to travel in. Only the foolish went there now. Dalmasca couldn't really stop any one from going into the Necrohol but the place had a rather large taint on it that made most sane people avoid it.

But Ashe felt something drawing her in. It wasn't the lure of the Necrohol's treasures or anything like that. It felt like something or rather someone was calling out to her through the Mist to come here. She spoke quietly as she replied to Penelo.

"I don't know why but there's something here that wants me to go in. I know this place holds a lot of bad memories for both of us but we're better prepared this time. We both know what these halls are like and we know how to get through here and survive."

Penelo nodded but she still felt scared. Her grip on her katana tightened as she readied herself for the path ahead. It wasn't going to be easy and there was going to be a lot of fighting, that much she knew. What bothered her the most was what Ashe was saying. Nothing had called out to her in the Mist since the whole incident with the Occuria, so why now? That was something Penelo didn't have an answer to.

The two stayed relatively quiet as they kept going down the path that would lead them to the entrance to the Necrohol. There were the occasional small fights on the way but nothing major. The entrance to the Necrohol was finally in front of them as they stopped on the path for a moment to catch their breath and make sure they were ready for what was ahead. The sight of the place, half sunk into what looked like swamp, was as impressive as it had been the first time they had seen the place.

The ominous wind that came out of the place hadn't changed in all the time that had gone by. That was something that would probably never change about the place, much like the swirling Mist that hung around the place like a multicolored cloud. The walk into the place was something that neither of them were going to forget any time soon.

A large swirl of Mist covered the two of them as they stayed close together with their weapons ready. The sounds of wandering Baknamy were heard but the origins of the sounds weren't seen. That was when Penelo heard what had been drawing Ashe toward the Necrohol. It was a sound that she would try to forget for years afterward and never spoke of.

"There's something for you here. Come to the center of the Mist. I can give you everything you want. "

The tone of it was otherworldly, and Penelo could name the sound despite not having heard it in a very, very long time. The sound belonged to the voice of her mother but at the same time it didn't. It worried her and made her wonder if they really should be going into one of the most feared places in Ivalice. She wasn't about to let her courage fail her though. After everything she had been through with the gang during the war, Penelo wasn't easily scared. Places like the Necrohol and the Nabreous Deadlands however were a whole other thing in and of themselves.

Ashe looked at Penelo and said, "We're going to be fine. We know more magick than most people ever hear of. Not to mention we are both quite skilled in combat. I wager you could fight Basch to a standstill now."

Ashe's words comforted Penelo but there was still something about this place that made her worry. The Mist was more unsettling than it had been in the past. There was something here. Something that didn't want them to leave. Penelo shivered as she felt a breeze surround her. It felt like someone had just cast a really high level Blizzard spell near her. Mist always felt cold and this breeze was making it worse. Penelo knew she would have given up anything to be back in the warmth of the Salikawood.

Ashe felt the same cold that Penelo did, but she kept pushing forward. She wanted to find out what this all was and she wanted to do it fast so they didn't have to stay in this place any longer than they needed to be. As skilled as they were, this place was one that could surprise and kill even the most skilled fighters. Dropping your guard meant a swift attack out of nowhere in the Mist.

They worked their way deep into the Necrohol, passing where they had met the strange being who had sold them their most powerful magicks. The halls teemed with life that went unseen through the thick Mist. Baknamy had taken up residence here and hundreds of them lurked in the swirling rainbow of colors that the Mist made, waiting for their prey to walk by before attacking.

After what felt like hours to them, they came to a large room that seemed oddly familiar. It had been here where they had fought and captured one of the thirteen Espers, Chaos. The fight had been long and hard, but they had eventually won. The room stilled echoed with the power the Esper had wielded here. Penelo looked over at one of the walls and saw the remnants of their fight still there. A large scratch had been etched into the wall by the Chaos' magick, and several small marks where her own magick had pockmarked the wall as well as where Vaan had been thrown into the wall by an attack.

She could remember that fight like it had happened just the other day. As she thought of it, the Mist began to swirl and show them after-images of the fight it had seen. Ashe watched it and quietly said, "This must be the Occuria's doing, or Chaos' strength against our own was worth recording in the Mist. It makes me wonder if the other places we fought the rest of the Espers in would do this sort of thing."

"I know Ultima and Zodiark's places would do this. Although I doubt any of us would ever dare to return to those places. I can only imagine what the other places would do as many of them have been devoid of thick Mist since we captured the Espers living there." Penelo said as she watched the Mist.

"Is this why we were brought here?" Ashe asked quietly to herself.

"How astute of you, Queen Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca. We can see why Venat took such an interest in you, even if he was doing so for corrupt purposes. We, the Occuria, brought you here to give you something and this is our gift. Knowledge of things most Humes, Viera, Moogles, Seeq or Bangaa never know. That a fight of a large enough scale in power is recorded in the Mist. Baknamy know of it simply because they live here in this Necrohol." A voice said from out the Mist. "An Esper, such as the one you fought here, contains such power that no race that fights them does so without leaving a permanent mark within the Mist. Other creatures like Yiazmat, are simply just powerful enough in their own right without magick that to be near them causes the Mist to record anything that happens. Regardless of the outcome. "

"So, is this what that voice meant by telling me it would give me everything I ever wanted?" Penelo asked.

"Child, you ask like one who is unsatisfied with their gift. We have shown you that even if you were to die or leave Ivalice, your memory would be kept inside the Mist for all eternity for all who dare to venture here to see." The voice said, a chiding tone in its voice.

Penelo and Ashe both quietly thank the mysterious Occuria for their gift of knowing this fact and quietly left, guided out of the Necrohol safely as if the Occuria were turning away all of the monsters in the Mist. They spent the rest of their day crossing the entirety of the Salikawood in stunned silence. Neither of them said anything after they had left the Necrohol of Nabudis. As they reached the edge of the Salikawood the voice from the Necrohol quietly said, "There is something between the two of you that makes your bond more special than you realize. It is time you come to terms with what you feel. The ocean will wash away your barriers and it will give you the strength you need to say what is on your minds. This is the other half of our gift, but to fully receive it, you must give it to yourselves. The meaning of our words will become clear when the time comes."

The two women stared back into the Salikawood as they walked through the canyon that led out onto the shores of the Phon Coast. Neither of them had a clue what the Occuria were talking about, but they both knew that they would understand it in time. And they had plenty of time to do just that. After all, Ashe knew she genuinely loved Penelo. She just didn't know how to openly say it without feeling unconfident with herself.

They walked out on to the beach and standing there was a lone man dressed in full armor staring out at the sea. He turned to face them and said in a deep voice, "You took longer than I expected. My lord will be displeased that I had to be here longer than he anticipated. I have come for you Lady Ashelia."

Penelo walked out in front of Ashe and looked directly at the man on the beach. "You will have to go through me first. No one tries to take Ashe away from me and lives. You will die where you stand."

The man shifted in his armor and drew the great-sword that hung on his belt. "On the contrary young lady. It is you who shall die." With those words he sprung across the sand at a full run and swung his sword at Penelo as he came within range. His sword encountered resistance and deflected away from Penelo as she just stood there and took her time drawing her katana.

"You use magick I see. That was a well-cast Protect spell. I have not seen one so well done in a long time. I shall enjoy this fight." The man said. "Allow me to introduce myself to my worthy opponent. I am, V'rith."

Penelo held her katana in a ready stance and said, "My name is Penelo of Rabanastre."

V'rith attacked again, this time his sword met Penelo's katana. He smiled evilly as he locked blades with her. Penelo met his gaze and quietly said, "Scathe."

V'rith looked at Penelo oddly for a half second before seeing the glyph of the scathe spell form and charge with the spell's power. His eyes widened as he jumped backward and to the side, trying to use his sword to block the spell from hitting him directly. He partially succeeded as the spell glanced off him. It tore his armor apart on his left arm, completely destroying it. He looked at Penelo and said, "That spell cannot be cast all too often I imagine. You want this over, don't you?"

Penelo just smiled slightly and quietly said, "Don't you want the same thing?" She added something under her breath so V'rith wouldn't hear it. "Firaga."

V'rith smiled, but his smile quickly vanished as he saw the large fireball that Penelo had sent his way. He was underestimating this girl's aptitude for magic. Two fairly high level spells cast one right after the other was something only a handful of skilled magick users could do. He kicked his fighting into high gear and charged Penelo, using everything he could think of to try and beat her.

Penelo quietly cast Protect every time her own skills with a sword failed her and she missed a block. She was glad that all the fighting she had done in the past had made her more skilled with magick and it no longer drained her as fast as it used to. She quickly cast a much less powerful series of spells, casting fire, blizzard and thunder at close range, trying to open up V'rith's defenses.

V'rith was having a harder time dodging the magick Penelo was throwing his way than he had of blocking her sword strikes. He wondered how long he could keep up the attack and lose any more armor than he already had. He had basically been reduced to just his boots and gloves as the rest of his armor had been blasted away by the constant magick.

Penelo kept fighting at her best as she tried to think of something. Then it hit her. It was something she had done during their fight with the Esper Zeromus. She had relied on Vaan to hit him and create and opening through which she had fired a Scathe spell. She would have to do something similar here, but she would have to do it on her own.

Penelo took a step back before launching into a flurry of attacks as she battered at V'rith's guard. AS she stuck each blow and weakened his defenses she was reciting the whole spell to cast Scathe at its fullest. To V'rith it sounded like she was muttering a battle plan to herself and tried to catch what she was saying. As she got to the last line of the Scathe spell it dawned on V'rith that she was doing something far different. She lashed out with a kick that knocked back V'rith and put him off balance as she pointed and open palm at him and yelled out "SCATHE!"

V'rith cursed aloud as he saw the bright glyph form and then the beam of the Scathe spell hit him full force. It threw him across the beach but he managed to survive the hit. He couldn't move as Penelo walked over and said, "You have lost. Tell whoever ordered you to do this that you have failed in your quest and that Lady Ashe cannot be caught by anyone."

"I cannot move. How will I tell my master anything if I cannot go see him?" V'rith asked.

Penelo dug around in her bag and tossed a bottle to V'rith. "Drink this potion. It should allow you to make it home to your master. Do not come after us again. I will not hesitate to kill you next time."

"You lack the heart to do such a thing."

"Fire!"

The fireball turned the sand next to V'rith's head to glass mere inches from his face. Penelo looked at him and said, "Do not doubt me when I say something. You will regret it."

With that, she and Ashe walked away from where V'rith lay and headed further down the coast to their destination. V'rith took the potion and sat up on the beach. He knew that he had lost and didn't need to go after the Queen. He did decide one thing though. He would go home and kill the man who had ordered him to do this. He had seen something in Penelo's eyes that had said, 'I will protect this woman, even if I have to die to do it.'

A couple hours had passed and Ashe and Penelo had arrived at their destination. They set up camp and sat down to rest. Penelo felt a bit drained after the fight with V'rith and just stretched out on the sand. Ashe looked over at her and quietly spoke.

"Penelo, back there, you protected me even though V'rith could have killed you. Why did you do that?"

"Because, something in my mind said, 'you have to protect Ashe no matter what the cost'. I just felt like if I didn't do that then I would be lying to myself about something."

"What would that be Penelo?"

"That I love you enough to die for you if I have to, to keep you safe." Penelo said as she sat up and looked at Ashe.

Ashe looked down at the sand for a moment and said, "Is this what the Occuria were saying? That we would have to be able to say this without feeling like there's something wrong? That we have to admit to ourselves that we love each other?"

Penelo got up and moved over next to Ashe. "I think this is what they wanted. That the two of us realizing our love for one another would get etched into the Mist much like how our fights have done the same. I really do love you and somehow that fight made me realize just how much I genuinely did."

Ashe was surprised by how sure of herself Penelo sounded. There was this sense of conviction in her voice that hadn't been there before. The first time this had come out in the open, Ashe could hear how unsure Penelo was when she said it. This time though, there was a much different feeling behind it. There were emotions and feelings being put into those words that Penelo seemed to have been missing and only just found out existed.

Penelo leaned over and gave Ashe a kiss. There was passion behind this one and there was a sense of it being perfectly right. As the kiss broke, Ashe realized what it was the Occuria had really meant and what had caused the change in how Penelo seemed to feel toward her.

Ashe smiled to herself and looked at Penelo as she said, "I love you too Penelo, and I want you to be more than my friend. I want you there in my life every day. I want to wake up and have the first thing I see be you. Something just hit me and made me think about this whole thing. I realized that I really do love you and that I want you to be my wife."

Penelo was surprised by the proposal but she could feel that Ashe's feelings were genuine. She gave her a hug and said, "Of course, I'll accept that. I would love to be by your side as your wife." Penelo giggled slightly and then said, "Balthier and Vaan are going to have a fit when they hear about this."

"Balthier," Ashe said, "Has nothing against us, especially since he's with Fran. I think Vaan would be happy for us though. He seems like he would understand."

Penelo smiled and gave Ashe another hug and kiss. She was glad that her greatest wish had come true. The next month suddenly looked a lot more like a nice long honeymoon for the both of them. As the sun set on the day, Ashe held Penelo close and told her that she loved her and Penelo said the same. They shared another kiss as the sun went down on their last day of travel. Tomorrow would be a new day and the start of a whole different kind of adventure.

(Author's Note: Holy CRAP has it been too long since I've last updated this. I thought tying it up here would be a good end to the story. Life has a very nasty way of getting in the way. Since the last update I've had a lot happen but I've never forgotten about my readers here. Thank you for reading. All of these stories are for you, the fans. As always, read and enjoy. Without you readers I wouldn't have the drive to write as much as I do. I feel bad this story was so long in getting finished and that it was shorter than I had wanted, but at the same time, I think it ends well."

**Shinobi of the Onyx Sands**


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